Optoelectronic reading pen

Abstract

An optoelectronic reading pen for scanning optically encoded information, applied to an information carrier, particularly in the form of a bar or line code, including means for illuminating the information carrier and an optoelectronic sensor which receives the light reflected from the information carrier and converts the reflected light into an electric signal, wherein ambient light from the environment of the reading pen is collected and used for illuminating the information carrier. Thus, the current intake is drastically reduced by the fact that, instead of an internal LED light source, light from the environment is used for illuminating the information carrier.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is: 
     
       1. Optoelectronic reading pen for scanning optically encoded information applied to an information carrier, comprising: means for illuminating the information carrier; and   optoelectronic sensor means for receiving light reflected from the information carrier and converting the received light into an electric signal;   wherein said illuminating means comprises means for collecting ambient light from the environment and applying the collected light to the information carrier, and ambient light from the environment of the reading pen is exclusively used for illuminating the information carrier;   said illuminating means comprising means for concentrating collected ambient light prior to application to the information carrier, comprising an essentially hollow-cylindrical pen housing of an optically transparent material, into which pen housing ambient light can enter from the environment through an outside surface, wherein the ambient light entering the pen housing is conducted further towards a scanning side and is there concentrated, said pen housing comprising an optically dull rear outside surface selected as an outside surface for entry of the light.   
     
     
       2. Optoelectronic reading pen as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pen housing is conically tapered towards the scanning side. 
     
     
       3. Optoelectronic reading pen as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pen housing consists of glass, acrylic glass or polystyrene. 
     
     
       4. Optoelectronic reading pen as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a light reflecting lateral inside surface and a light reflecting lateral outside surface. 
     
     
       5. Optoelectronic reading pen as claimed in claim 11, comprising: means for the processing of the electrical signal produced by the optoelectronic sensor, including a controllable amplifier having a gain factor which is set and readjusted as a function of the brightness of the ambient light in the environment of the reading pen.   
     
     
       6. Optoelectronic reading pen as claimed in claim 5, wherein said processing means comprises: an integrator connected to an output of the controllable amplifier for averaging the output of the controllable amplifier, said integrator having an output connected to a control input of the controllable amplifier for setting the gain factor of the controllable amplifier based on the average output of the controllable amplifier.